Brighouse Light Opera Society has
came a long way since its beginning in 1924 as St James Operatic and
Dramatic Society. Show venues have changed over the years - the Sugden
Memorial Hall, the Parish Hall and the Albert Cinema, with a feel of
theatre, from 1948 to 1970. Then it was back to the Parish Hall under
its new name of Rydings Hall and latterly to our present home in the
Brighouse Civic.
Concert parties were a large part of the Society's
past and there was hardly a church in the Brighouse area that did not
receive a visit from the BLOS Concert Party for its Autumn Bazaar,
Spring Fayre etc.
Hospitals were not neglected and in the days when
none of us had cars, a Huddersfield Corporation bus provided concert
party members with transport to Huddersfield and then out to Mill Hill
and Dene House Hospitals. This is a tradition which the
Juniors kept alive with their regular visits to Kenmore Cheshire
Homes.
Brighouse Theatre Productions was
established in 2005 by the merger of two long established musical
theatre groups, Brighouse Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society and
Brighouse Light Opera Society. Both of these organisations, which had
been in existance for over eighty years, first came together to jointly
lease and manage their present headquarters at Wilkin Royd Mill. Despite
misgivings by some members of both societies, the formal merger in May
2005 was seen as a logical extension of this period of close
cooperation.
The objectives of the newly established organisation remain
essentially those of its predecessors. That is to promote live theatre,
with particular emphasis on musical theatre, for the benefit of the
local community. Thus members of the local community are encouraged to
either join the society - to perform or assist back-stage - or simply to
attend and be entertained by our productions. Whilst a full programme of
future events has yet to be determined, it will certainly involve the
annual production of a major musical. The presentation of an
annual Carol Concert will also figure and consideration is also being
given to the staging of a secondary musical, play or pantomime as
components of the programme for future years. A variety of social and
fund raising events, such as the highly successful "Antiques and Craft
Fair" will also form part of our annual programme.
The society rehearsed
at Wilkin Royd Mill which was conveniently located near the Town
Centre and provide rehearsal and committee rooms together with extensive
facilities for the storage of stage properties, costumes and scenery. In
addition, the premises enabled much of the scenery for productions
to be constructed and painted by members of the society.
In 2007 the society moved
to new rehearsal facilities at Brighouse Arts Centre located in the town
centre, above the Abbey Bank. Due to the limited space available
scenery is stored off site and brought to the theatre for
productions.
Negotiations with Calderdale MBC to transfer all our activities
to Brighouse Civic Hall have been underway for seven years, so far
without a successful conclusion.